As integrated circuit device geometries continue to shrink deep into the sub-micron realm, new technologies must be employed to maintain desirable device performance. Gate engineering for MOSFET devices is an area of intense interest and research. One such area is in the employment of fully silicided gate electrodes, or so-called FUSI gate electrodes.
While FUSI gate electrodes allow for greater flexibility in, e.g., tuning work function performance, they introduce manufacturing and design difficulties that must be overcome. What is needed, therefore, is an improved FUSI structure and method of making same that overcomes shortcomings in the prior art.